


Solitary Pursuit

by satiredichotomy



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-30
Updated: 2005-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 11:46:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12863862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satiredichotomy/pseuds/satiredichotomy
Summary: Sam visits Atlantis.





	Solitary Pursuit

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Buildings and Food sga_flashfic challenge. This is Buildings, not Food although there is a scene in the mess hall.

She stood on one of Atlantis's many balconies, the gentle breeze blowing her hair astray. An appreciative smirk twisted his mouth, as he watched from behind. What a Kodak moment. He could've quietly joined her and tried to preserve the moment.

Instead, he exclaimed "Colonel!" loudly and leaned on the railing by her side.

The contemplative expression that had graced her face was quickly replaced by a tolerant smile. "McKay," she acknowledged. "What brings you out here?"

"I was just going to ask you the same question," he replied. "I would have thought you'd be in the labs, not looking at…" he gestured at the view, unable to figure out exactly what she was looking at.

"Atlantis. I'm looking at your city," she helpfully said.

A quick smile flickered on his mouth. "Yes, she's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Of course," was her only response.

Sensing an opportunity, he continued. "Well, if you're interested in the view, perhaps you'd like to wander round to the other side - one of the other balconies makes you feel like you're right on top of the ocean and sometimes you can even see various sea creatures just below the surface." He paused to shudder slightly. "That's not actually my favourite place, but there's also the large balcony up a few levels. I've heard that the sunset looks amazing from there." This time, he nudged his elbow to hers and when he caught her eye, he winked incongruously.

She had to fight to keep her laughter in. "I'll keep that in mind," was all she said.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he was surprised that she didn't give him a flat-out rejection. "Good, see that you do."

^^^

Dr. Weir asked her if she was free for a meeting not long after they arrived in the lab. As she left, McKay told her when they would be heading to the mess for their evening meal and asked her to join them.  
  
On her way to the Command Center she watched people pass her by, busy doing their respective jobs. She took a wrong turn once and ended up walking down a completely empty corridor.

The SGC was never just empty like this.

^^^

She was starving by dinner. They ate a bit later than she usually did, probably to compensate for the extra few hours the Atlantean day had. She didn't know what to expect in the mess hall. A part of her imagined McKay would be seated at a table for two with the intention of monopolizing her.

Instead, she walked in and saw McKay sat at a large table with an empty space next to him. He was sat with Colonel Sheppard, the alien woman Teyla and some others, some familiar, some not. She grabbed some food and headed over to them.

Rodney gave her a crooked smile and opened his mouth. "I don't suppose you actually read any of my emails?"

"Excuse me?" she blinked.

"You know, the part where I explained it was of vital importance for you to bring the Battlestar Galactica boxset with you?"

She put on a careful look of surprise and widened her eyes in fake innocence. "Oh, I must've missed that bit."

"Yeah, I can see how reading and attention to detail are concepts well beyond your abilities," he muttered as he turned back to his food.

She noticed Sheppard's eyebrows rise and all conversation around them seemed to die down a bit as they waited for her reply. "No, I can manage those," she mildly replied. "The bit that gets me is when I have to decipher what you're talking about in between telling me about your leadership skills, the latest possible Ancient sex toy and the incomplete, incorrect mathematics that I have fix for you."

At the table next to them, Sheppard's second-in-command, Major Lorne, let out a snort followed by a coughing fit that didn't really disguise his laughter. She allowed a small smile as one of the botanists started patting him on the back.

Just then, another one of the aliens they'd adopted - Ronon? - sat down at their table. "Did I hear someone say something about sex toys?"

^^^

Rodney turned to her as people started to leave the mess hall. "Don't suppose you feel like checking out that sunset?"

She let herself think about it for a minute, partly to toy with him, partly because she couldn't remember if there were other things that she needed to get done. "Sure, why not."

There was that surprised look again. It lasted for only a split-second, but she liked knowing that she was keeping him on his toes. She felt well-fed and comfortable, the Atlantean food nowhere near as bad as McKay claimed in his emails (which she did read carefully), but she guessed the arrival of the Daedalus might have had something to do with that.

Dinner had been more informal than she'd been expecting. She knew that these people were all close, given their isolation from Earth for a year, but they had created far more of a community than she'd been expecting. Conversation wasn't only about work, but their lives - interests, gossip, she heard there was even a ladies poker night. It was nice.

The emptiness hit her again as they made their way from the mess hall. The corridors were quietening down, people returning to their rooms after dinner.

They stood on the balcony with the sun setting on one side and the lost city of Atlantis on the other. The wind from earlier had died down and now there was silence.

"Doesn't it feel strange?" she asked.

He looked at her inquisitively. "Doesn't what feel strange?"

"Living here. With this entire city unoccupied. Look at the size of it!" she waved her arm. "And just to think that there's no one in there at all - doesn't it creep you out a bit?"

He looked like he hadn't really thought about it. "I haven't really thought about it. For us, it feels more busy because we have all you Daedalus people running around. It was far worse late last year when there were less of us and we kept losing people," he admitted.

She nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I just… I keep comparing this to Earth. Because this is your Earth, your home. And I can't imagine living somewhere that has the beginning and the end right here. Don't you miss having people around and places to go?"

She knew she wasn't being eloquent, that her point wasn't being made correctly. She didn't know if there was a way to express how she felt right then.

"Sometimes," he replied slowly. "But mostly, not so much. I don't know how to explain it. It's like being at College again. Yes, it's insular, a bubble. But it's comfortable, it's like living with friends and family and I like it." His face flushed slightly, as if he'd said more than he'd intended.

"But what about when you've had enough? When you're tired and just need a break? Where do you go then?"

He looked at her steadily and then shrugged. "This is my life, not just a job. Who gets a break from life? If I ever really need to leave, then I'll go back to Earth." It only took a second for it to click, but then he was a genius. "Is that why you came here? To get away from Earth?"

She looked out at the sunset and didn't reply.

^^^

She doesn't know why she agreed to watch a DVD with him in his quarters. It's that loneliness thing, coming back to get her, making her vulnerable to McKay's half-witted attempts to get her in his bed.

There was a bottle of wine too, which is now empty as the closing credits roll. She doesn't know what she should be saying or doing, but she's saved from thinking too much when she feels him move and then his lips hover over hers. She stays still, waiting for him to initiate the kiss. For some reason, she needs to know that he wants to do this, because she hasn't figured out what she wants yet.

What she wants is someone to hold onto. And now that his lips are pressed onto her, mouths mutually opening wider, she gives herself permission to clutch him. A small sound escapes him as she wraps her arms around him, pulling him close.

This would do. She could happily fall asleep now, having someone to hold onto so that she won't have to wake up alone. But she can feel herself getting almost unwilling aroused. She'd been craving a simple touch for so long that the realisation that she could have more completely passed her by.

And McKay's a good kisser.

He's being quite courteous though, perhaps realising that she's one step behind for a change. She shifts slightly, breaks the kiss and grins as he flashes her a giddy smile. He starts nibbling at her neck, while she sneaks her hands in under his shirt and moves to remove it. That seems to be the sign he was looking for and now he's enthusiastic. Rodney's shirt is gone quickly and before she realises it, they're both naked and under the covers.

They're kissing again, long, deep, lewd kisses that leave them gasping for air. His hands have wandered lower, cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples. She can feel his dick, hard against her hip. Hysteria hits her for a second, when she remembers him telling her about how he wanted to be a pianist, but she'd heard penis, and well look, this is his penis.

A couple of giggles escape. He stops and looks at her and she can't help but laugh at his expression. This man may be annoying, arrogant and not quite the genius that she is, but she likes him in spite of it, or maybe even because of it.

While he's caught off-guard, she takes advantage and rolls them over so that she's on top. For her, the whole day's been foreplay, from the balcony to dinner to this. She reaches for his cock and then calmly slides down, and then leans down for another kiss.

He moans into her mouth, encouraging her to move with his hands on her hips. She obliges happily, while gently moving one bruising hand from her hip lower down, to give her what she needs for completion.

He knows what she wants. Soon she's coming, clenching tight around him and it's enough for him to come too. She lifts herself up and off of him, but then settles down in the narrow bed. She rearranges his arm so that she can use it as a pillow and snuggles, with an arm around his waist and a leg thrown over his. If she was looking, she'd see that surprised expression on his face once again. But she's fast asleep.

^^^

At the end of the week, when the Daedalus is ready to leave, Sam goes quietly. A quick public goodbye with Rodney and his team in the labs, followed by a farewell to Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard.

She gives Sheppard a small package to give to Rodney at his discretion - Battlestar Galactica DVDs, of course. Sam's slowly becoming aware of everything going on under the surface in this place. She's made it clear to Rodney that this was a one-off between them. For some odd reason, she doesn't want him to be lonely like her.

It still freaks her out to look outside and see the sprawling city around her and know that it's stone cold. There's a part of her that just wants to fill it up, take the people from her own over-populated planet and put them here. She wants to make it feel like a real city, with people and families and children. Maybe, one day, that would happen. Until then, it was enough to know that the people of Atlantis had made their own home here, and to realise that Earth wasn't so cold and empty after all.

END


End file.
